Worlds Apart
by LeanaVine
Summary: After being beaten by Goku, Vegeta retreats into space, only to change his mind after thinking about what Frieza's opinion will be of his defeat. Vegeta returns to Earth, demanding to be trained so that he can meet Goku's power, so together, they can defeat Frieza. (Set after season one. Warning of violence. Includes Man/Man. Eventual Kakavege, Goku/Vegeta. Slight Goku/Chi-Chi.)


**A/N:** This is my first time attempting to write _Dragon Ball Z_ fanfiction, so I'm a little nervous. I grew up watching this show, so I want all the details to be as close to the real thing as possible. I rewatched the first season before writing this, but I really need to watch the beginning of the second season again.

The first season ends with Bulma, Krillin, and Gohan being captured by aliens on their way to Namek, and Vegeta is on his way somewhere in his space pod, but it doesn't say where. I read online that he went to Planet Frieza 79 and healed in a regeneration chamber. Frieza was mad at him for going to the Earth, but forgave him when he learned about the dragon balls. Vegeta is distressed at the idea of Frieza being immortal, so he goes to Namek to find the dragon balls first, declaring himself an enemy of Frieza. It's after this that he helps the Z Fighters take on Zarbon and Dodoria, the Ginyu Force, and then Frieza himself.

Like I said, I watched every episode when I was a kid, but that as so long ago, I don't remember much. I've just recently gotten back into this fandom, and I didn't really ship any characters from _DBZ_ until, I think, last year.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this. Let me know what details I'm messing up. Obviously, since this is a fanfiction, some thing are going to stray from the original story, but I'd like your help with the little details here in the beginning.

As always, I do not share any views expressed by any characters in this story. And I own nothing in this story.

Okay, please read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

Cringing, Vegeta wrapped an arm around his aching ribs. He was sure most of them were broken, or at least fractured. It was still impossible to see out of his right eye, so it was hard to assess how extensive his injuries were. The worst damage, by far, was his missing tail. There was still an ache where his tail had once been, like a phantom pain. Inside, Vegeta felt a deeper agony.

This Saiyan-turned-human, Kakarot, and his so-called friends, had beaten him, cut off his tail, and sent him crawling helplessly into his space pod. Vegeta had chosen not to go into cryosleep, and stayed awake through his pain. He kept replaying every moment of his time on Earth, over and over in his head. A river of shame drowned him as he thought about how he dragged his body through the dirt, his mind racing. He could remember Kakarot's voice, calling out to give him mercy, as the midget stood over him, brandishing the same sword that had removed his tail.

A true Saiyan would've blasted Vegeta. He guessed, Kakarot really was a human now.

Smirking to himself, Vegeta thought about how Kakarot's face would look when he returned with the Ginyu Force, or possibly Lord Frieza, himself. It took all of Earth's power to send Vegeta away; they wouldn't stand a chance this time. Frieza would be interested in a world with such strong fighters; it would be a good challenge for him. Then he paused, looking down at the blood on his once-white, torn gloves. He thought of Nappa.

The giant oaf had fought valiantly, sinking an entire armada of ships and destroying several news helicopters, all while laying waste to the heroes that came to battle them upon their arrival. Yet, against Kakarot, Nappa crumbled. It was an embarrassment, seeing the Saiyan on the ground, paralyzed. The Saiyan race was much stronger than what Nappa had displayed. To punish his insolence, Vegeta threw him in the air, before blasting him into bits. Kakarot and his friends were stunned, their mouths agape. Vegeta relished the moment, feeling their fear of his power. How was he to know that hours later in the day, just before dusk, he would be on the ground, unable to stand from Kakarot's blows, just like Nappa? Instead of accepting death, he ran away, like a coward, something he had never done before.

Vegeta pressed a few buttons, and his pod stopped, hovering. Frieza could not know of his defeat. Surely, he would laugh, and then dispose of Vegeta, just as he had done to Nappa. The situation was no different, and Vegeta knew that Frieza was even more heartless than himself. The prince refused to end his life as such; he would not die a disgrace. He would not return to Frieza until he had killed Kakarot, along with every other living thing on that miserable planet. Not even the trees would be able to escape his fury.

His fists clenched. Damn that Kakarot. Because of him, Vegeta was stranded in space, badly beaten, his pride in shambles, and he had no where to go. He knew that if he didn't make it to a regeneration chamber soon, he would permanently lose his right eye. It wasn't a terrible thought, but Vegeta knew that losing an eye would greatly affect his fighting skills in the future. He had already had to make adjustments when he lost his tail, which effectively threw off his balance.

Vegeta was in a bind as to what to do. He could return to Frieza in hopes that he wouldn't be destroyed, and heal fully, or, he could retreat to one of the nearby planets to heal, and lose his eye. He had already lost his tail and his pride, so Vegeta wasn't very keen on the latter idea. Running to Frieza could mean his death, though. Perhaps the damage to his eye wasn't as bad as he first thought. Vegeta took a deep breath, and slowly began to open his eye. A stinging pain shot through his head, and everything was white. Vegeta clamped his eye shut once more, grunting at the feeling of blood running down his face.

For a moment, the thought crossed Vegeta's mind of the Earth. Kakarot had been badly injured in their battle, so what did he use to heal? Did they have regenerative chambers? Earth must house some radical healing element that Vegeta was unaware of.

But, of course, if he were to come back to Earth now, he would most likely be met with retaliation, not assistance. He couldn't imagine Kakarot and his little friends healing him up, glad to offer their services to the alien that had nearly destroyed their planet. Still, it might be his only chance. Frieza would surely kill him, but Kakarot had offered Vegeta mercy. Maybe he would still extend this gesture if Vegeta returned, looking for a way to heal.

It was a stupid, ludicrous idea. His other options, though, were more grim. At the very worst, Kakarot would turn Vegeta away, and he would have to go with his second plan of recovering on another planet. Even though his mind came up with various reasons why this was an idiotic decision, Vegeta set the coordinates of Earth back into the space pod. He couldn't remember how long it had been since he left, so he wasn't sure when he would arrive back at Earth. It was possible Kakarot would already be fully healed, and Vegeta might be facing his death, after all. He couldn't think of which would be a more embarrassing death: dying at the hands of Kakarot, or at the hands of Frieza. Vegeta reasoned that there was less shame in being ended by a fellow Saiyan, even if he did act more like a human now.

* * *

Goku was overwhelmingly glad to be out of that hospital. After being in that bed for an agonizingly long time, Yajirobe had appeared with a senzu bean and saved Goku from his boredom. Chi-Chi acted coldly towards Goku, even after he healed and was able to return home with her. They hadn't seen each other in over a year, so Goku didn't understand why she seemed so angry with him. He had expected her to fawn over him, much like she had Gohan, before he left for Namek. After Gohan left with Bulma and Krillin, Chi-Chi said even less to Goku.

As they returned to their home on Mt. Paozu, Chi-Chi remained silent. Goku felt awkward, slumped down in the passenger seat of her red hover car. He just couldn't wrap his head around why his wife was acting this way towards him. It wasn't until they made it home and unpacked that she began talking.

"Yes, Goku, I am angry with you. I'm a little angry with everyone right now." Her arms were crossed as she leaned against the dining table. Goku simply watched her from where he sat on the floor. She sighed, still not meeting his gaze. "The last time I saw you, you were taking Gohan to Master Roshi's house for a visit. I had no idea that you were going to _die_ that same day, and my baby would be kidnapped by that demon Piccolo." She studied her fingernails, looking for something to distract her. "I was alone for a year, Goku. Then when you and Gohan were back, you were fighting _more_ aliens. What if you had died again? What if something terrible had happened to Gohan? I might have never seen either of you again." She finally connected eyes with her husband, who had been listening quietly. Chi-Chi no longer looked angry, her brown eyes soft, her face unreadable. "I was just angry that I never got a chance to say goodbye to you. I know it wasn't your fault, but I was just so frustrated that, for a year, you were dead and I had no idea if Gohan was okay or not. I was alone."

Standing to walk next to her, Goku gingerly touched her arm. She flinched, but didn't pull away. "I'm sorry, Chi-Chi." She turned her eyes to the floor. "I didn't know any of that was going to happen, either. I didn't want to leave you and Gohan behind, but I had no choice. Dying was the only way to stop Raditz from destroying the planet."

That night, they ate dinner in silence - well, without talking. Goku always was a loud eater. They slept in the same bed that night, but didn't cuddle. Goku was a little surprised, thinking that if Chi-Chi had been so lonely for so long, she would want him to hold her. In the middle of the night, Chi-Chi awoke to see Goku sitting on the edge of the bed, looking out the window. When she asked why he couldn't sleep, he explained everything that he had learned from fighting Raditz and Vegeta. He was a Saiyan, from the planet Vegeta, and he had been sent to the Earth as an infant to wipe out all its inhabitants. Saiyans with tails were able to transform into giant ape-like creatures during the full moon, so Goku now knew now that he had been the one to crush his grandpa. Goku wasn't who he thought he was, and most of his life had been a lie.

Chi-Chi listened carefully, not asking any questions. She wrapped her arms around Goku's chest from behind, feeling him tremble. He was obviously overcome with emotion, but was trying not to show it in front of her. They stayed like that for a while before Chi-Chi laid back down, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Goku appreciated the alone time, getting up and going outside. To vent his anger, he hunted down and killed a giant, wild tiger. Goku dragged the game back to his home, leaving it outside as not to track blood into the house. Chi-Chi cooked it for breakfast that morning. They ate in silence, once more. Goku worried how the next few weeks would go, if they continued this way.


End file.
